User blog:RSTs Lilith/Reclaiming Sancre Tor Review
Reclaiming Sancre Tor By DarkRider As defender of the Empire, the Champion of Cyrodiil, you have reached the pinnacle of your career. Or have you really? With the Empire saved from the dark days of the Oblivion Crisis the memories of that struggle can safely be tucked away. However, the Empire is still without an Emperor, to which you are constantly reminded, creating the impression there was much more to the story than what was revealed. The Empire’s throne stands empty, the Blades without an Emperor to protect and serve; unanswered stories linger in the back of one’s mind. Reclaiming Sancre Tor is not just a quest or a house mod, it is an expansion. One which rivals Bethesda’s own add-ons not only in content, but in lengthiness of play as well and surely stands apart in user created mods. It has a rather unique evolution to its story, with RST there is no just finishing the main quest, obtaining your prize and being done with it, it is an entire story unto itself. DarkRider rebuilt Sancre Tor into a glory not previously seen, replacing the dreary structure encountered during Oblivion’s main quest with an entirely new city, a bustling hub of activity. Reclaiming Sancre Tor breathes new life not only into the Blades story, but to their environs and the game overall as a whole. Sancre Tor is beautifully reclaimed, the ambiance created is deeply intense and exhibits the well honed motto of “Blade and Honor” in every aspect; environs and population alike. There are Blades on the move no matter where you are, whether in the village proper or the Temple of Light, young and old alike sharing the same pride and duty bound determination present in a truly active training and recruitment center. The non-player characters are full of life and each has a unique personality begging the question as to who their counterparts are. One can only speculate on the amount of time and effort expended in the production of Reclaiming Sancre Tor as it seems every detail has been accounted for, nothing has been overlooked and everything is tastefully done. The village, the people, shopkeepers, and the Blades going to and fro is quite enough to consider Reclaiming Sancre Tor complete mod, however, this is the backdrop for the grand saga told during the main quest. How this is accomplished is quite remarkable and worthy of no true spoilers as the RST quests really need to be participated in first hand for the full experience. As previously mentioned, RST is much more than a simple quest mod, once starting one can expect to live and breathe as a Blade for quite some time, as this is no routine fetch quest. An added benefit for hardcore role players is a much extended, if not permanent Blades game. Reclaiming Sancre Tor begins modestly for such a grand adventure; Captain Steffan, desiring assistance issues a message to a trusted ally, the Champion of Cyrodiil. And so, with an excursion to Cloud Ruler Temple the immersion into the world of the Blades and Reclaiming Sancre Tor begins. From the onset Reclaiming Sancre Tor displays subtle hints as to the intricacies the story weaves, glimpses into the depth of the layers as it engages one to think and reflect while moving through the quests. The lore is craftily and impeccably welded into Bethesda’s with seamless fashion and all that it touches does so believably. Neatly tying up some loose ends of Oblivions own lore, RST manages to provide feasible resolutions to any lingering doubts from the experience of Lighting the Dragon Fires. References are articulately used and along with a spattering of symbols DarkRider provides a solid base to the theory used in this grand saga. The story is told in a layered series and at times the intensity of the current setting allows one to lapse and forget there is a common thread running from the moment Reclaiming Sancre Tor begins until the main quest finale. The plot is quite intriguing and it is advantageous to be observant with whom one meets and sees, what might seem to be a cameo appearance now could very well turn out to be quite a surprise later on. Throughout the main quest there are many encounters which elicit pause for thought and many opportunities which may provide a challenge to one’s own moralities. DarkRider also includes several interesting side quests which neatly segue from the main story. These allow for additional play and stay portions of RST to be made available to the player which includes at minimum; a discounted room, an apartment and good deed stories. This is not to say Reclaiming Sancre Tor is all story and ethics, there are abundant opportunities to hone skills, to become a Blade in more than just honorifics alone. The battles range from standard bandits and vampires to more exotic creatures that are all hell bent on destruction and not their own. RST fulfills the need for epic boss battles and does so with a twist; not only are they called bosses for a reason, but each one requires a strategy and each is unique to the individual environment. This is to say the boss battles happen in their own world spaces, each one different than the other and quite singular in that the bosses and the surroundings tie neatly into the plot and greatly enhance the encounters with them. Reclaiming Sancre Tor also brings a multitude of locations into being; Cat’s Cradle, Bootlegger’s Port, Cape Town, Topal Bay Coast Guard Station to name a few of note. All of these places and more offer wonderful opportunities for the player to enjoy the new scenery and find a free bed. The sheer size of RST is impressive and I would imagine the time and effort DarkRider put into it incalculable. For each place, each person brought into being serves a purpose and at its end either evaporates to Aetherius and becomes a memory or remains as a functioning participant to the expansion. There are gorgeous horses for sale at Cavalry Hills Farm near Skingrad, a ghostly damsel in distress whom has her own story to tell in the village of Brise and strategically located Blades safe houses; it truly seems all angles and details have been addressed leaving no unfinished business or unanswered concerns. Whether the title of Champion has already been earned or yet to take place, there is content to be enjoyed immediately in the way of fresh new faces and places to explore. With an epic main story and fantabulous locations, RST is sure to please a variety of players, from lore buffs to Blades fans, weapons collectors to lovers of espionage. Adding to its stature, RST’s content is neatly packed in BSA’s, allowing for quick and easy installation. The evidence of DarkRider’s sureness and diligent labor shines throughout the mod giving Reclaiming Sancre Tor a professional polish clearly putting it on the list of top must have mods for Oblivion. For Blade and Honor, Download Reclaiming Sancre Tor: TES Alliance TESNexus Reclaiming Sancre Tor Support Thread Category:Blog posts